Mother of two, others in police net in FCT for robbery, kidnapping, car-snatching

Mother of two, identified as Bunmi Samuel, has been arrested along with 12 other suspects in connection with armed robbery, burglary, car snatching kidnapping in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

FCT Police Commissioner, CP Haruna Garba, who paraded the suspects at the command headquarters, Thursday in Abuja, said the suspects were arrested at different locations in the territory.

Garba said that various assorted weapons, vehicles, laptops, phones, musical instruments among others were recovered from the suspects.

According to him, 36 year-old Bunmi Samuel was arrested along with her boyfriend who specialises in snatching GSM Phones from innocent commuters.

“After snatching phones, he removes the SIM cards and sells the phone then hands over the SIM cards to his girlfriend one Bunmi Samuel.

“The girlfriend on her part makes withdrawals of all monies from the accounts that are linked to the SIM cards.

“The police operatives have so far recovered 76 SIM cards, two Opay ATM cards and a golden wrist watch from the suspects,” CP Garba said.

Garba further disclosed that police operatives, in collaboration with the vigilante, also arrested five suspects namely; Bernard Francis, Felix Benjami, Peter Benjamin, Helen Sylvester, and Hamza Haruna for alleged involvement in kidnapping of a minor.

“The command also arrested  26 year-old Kennedy Esezobor of Tudun Wada village, Lugbe, FCT a notorious criminal and cultist with one fabricated single barrel gun and locally fabricated AK-47 rifle

“Operatives of the Anti-kidnapping unit of the Command acting on actionable intelligence stormed Kabin Mongoro Forest and arrested one Mohammed Hamza while on his way to bandits camp bordering Nasarawa State.

“The suspect confessed to being an informant, a drug and food supplier to one Dogo,” Garba said.

According to the FCT police commissioner, ‘the command in a swift operation has between Aug.30 and Aug. 31, impounded six vehicles bearing both foreign and local plate numbers or with foreign number plates at the back and Nigeria number plate in front of the vehicle.’

“The modus operandi of these drivers is that they use the vehicle to convey unsuspecting passengers and midway to their destination, they dispossess the passengers of their handsets and other valuables.

“The moment they carry out this criminal act and to avoid being traced or linked to the crime, they quickly remove the Nigeria number plate of the vehicle,” he said.

He said that police also arrested one 38 year-old Mustapha Kyari, who specilaises in vandalising manholes in the city.

“Three manholes recovered from him. He confessed to the crime and that of his accomplice by name Abba,” Garba reported.

In other operations carried out by his command, CP Garba said: “The police operatives while on a routine stop and search duty at Secretariat junction, Gwagwalada, intercepted a motorcycle with a passenger later identified as one Japheth Nuhu ‘m’ of behind Brown Berry estate phase 3 Gwagwalada.

“The said Japheth jumped down and took to his heels on sighting the Police but was given a hot chase.

“He was subsequently arrested and a berretta pistol with four rounds of 9mm live ammunition was recovered from him,” he said.

“We believe that the suspect and his accomplice at large are behind the robbery activities in Gwagwalada and its environs.

“Operatives of Anti-violence crime section of the SCID also arrested one Musa Matins suspected to be an armed robber at Durumi Area.

“In the course of investigation, the suspect confessed to having been involved in snatching and stealing of cars in and around the FCT.

“So far he has led the Police to the recovery of two Toyota Camry vehicles with registration number MAG-149 AR (Borno) and RBC-445 AS (Abuja).

“Effort is currently ongoing to trace the rightful owners of the recovered vehicles,” he said.

Garba said that a Toyota Camry 2018 model with reg no: KRD411HT (Lagos state) stolen from Port Harcourt on Sept. 3 was also recovered on Wednesday

“In a similar development, the operatives of anti-violence crime, while on patrol, arrested the duo of Gabriel Oliver and Emmanuel Ishaku.

“In the course of investigation, they confessed that they carried out attacks in a Redeemed Christian Church of God Bethel Centre, Galadimawa, Abuja and carted away several high definition electronic gadgets properties of the Church.

“The suspect led the police operatives to Bauchi and Plateau respectively, where the items were recovered. Effort is being made to arrest the co-accomplice who are on the run,” he said. CP Garba disclosed that all the suspects arrested by his command would be charged to court at the conclusion of investigation.